New game at Zynga: Pincus out as CEO

Since it’s founding in 2007, San Francisco social games maker Zynga has had two recognizable icons: the big dog that is its namesake and inspired its logo, and that dog’s owner: Mark Pincus, its founder, chairman and CEO.

That picture changed radically Monday when Zynga announced it was naming former Microsoft exec and gaming veteran Don Mattrick to succeed Pincus in the CEO role. Pincus will continue as Zynga’s chairman and chief product officer.

The move suggests the struggling game maker recognizes the need for a new vision at the top as it tries to move from being a Facebook-dependent platform to an independent maker of mobile games and online gambling purveyor.

In a note to Zynga employees, Pincus said he’s always told the company’s board “that if I could find someone who could do a better job as our CEO I’d do all I could to recruit and bring that person in. I’m confident that Don is that leader.”

For his part, in a note to his new staff, Mattrick sounded enthused about getting started when his tenure begins July 8: “I joined Zynga because I believe that Mark’s pioneering vision and mission to connect the world through games is just getting started. … Zynga is a great business that has yet to realize its full potential. I’m really proud to partner with a product-focused founder like Mark and work with the executive team to grow the DNA of the company.”

Mattrick’s departure from Microsoft, which occurred last week, comes just after the launch of latest version of the company’s flagship gaming console, the Xbox One, which has received mixed notices for its features and price.